Update: Boko Haram Kills 17, Abducts 30 Boys, Girls In Borno

Blood flowed in Borno State at the weekend, as some communities came under heavy attacks of Boko Ha­ram. In the attack, 17 people were killed while about 30 boys and girls were abducted by insurgents.

Daily Sun gathered that some Boko Haram fighters launched attack on Ndongo in Maffa Local Government Area, located in the central part of the state.

“Seventeen people were killed by the attackers. We buried the remains of the victims in Mafa,’’ chairman, caretaker committee of the local gov­ernment, Alhaji Shettima Maina, told journalists in Maiduguri.

Maina confirmed that information  available to the council authority indicated “about 30 youths have been abducted in the last couple of days. Once they (Boko Haram) invade a community, they abduct all boys, aged between 13 years and above and take them to their base. The insur­gents also abduct girls, aged between 11 years and above,” he disclosed.

He said the Boko Haram fighters had been unleashing violence on communities in the area through their incessant attacks, calling on authority to deploy troops to halt more killing and abduction in the area by insur­gents.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government to come to our aid, as the insurgents have invaded our com­munities, forcefully abducting both male and female youths in the area,” he said.

He said the attacks in the area had forced many people to flee to Maiduguri, the state capital, which is already crowded with thousands of displaced persons camped in about six locations.

A resident of the area, Mallam Ashiekh Mustapha, confirmed the incident, saying the Boko Haram men carted away about 300 cows during the attacks.

“They took away 300 herds of cows after the attack,’’ he said.

Mafa is about 42 kilometres from Maiduguri. It has experienced a few attacks by Boko Haram in the past, especially early March. In August, military forces engaged the insurgents in a fierce battle, forcing the attackers to retreat.